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The Savage Frontier
Capital: None Population: Unknown Government: Scattered Tribes (human barbarians, elven clans) Currency: Barter and Trade system Religion: Varied; Animal Totem worship, each tribe has special totem, i.e. Bear, Stag, etc. for humans. Elven pantheon for the clans. Imports: When they do trade the tribes bring in weapons and armor Exports: Furs, mercenaries National Languages: Garthak, Tribal pidgin, Elven, Trade Common (Rare) National Alignment: Varied The Savage Frontier is a heavily forested mountain region east of the inland sea. Fierce tribes of human barbarians, elven clans and wild beasts populate the area. It is a dangerous land, and westerners rarely venture there. It does sometimes draw the adventurous or curious, but few who take to this notion ever return. The tribes of human barbarians claim the northern part of the wood that stretches from the Inland sea in the west to the great mountain range that separates their forest from the Plains of the Endless Wind in the east. They venture as far north as the spur of those same mountains. To the south the Wood is claimed by a loose affiliation of elven clans who are even more insular and xenophobic than their cousins in Silesti. The humans of the Savage Frontier are hardy, ferocious warriors. They do not take kindly to intruders to their lands. Their features are as rugged as the land, and to most westerners they are a hairy, stinking, brutish lot. Their complexion tends to be ruddy and dark, with faces and skin made hard by the elements. They are a dark haired and dark eyed people who commonly dress in hides and heavy fabrics. Few wield metal weapons due to their lack of ability to make them. The few metal weapons they posses are treasured trophies from raids and are kept by the strongest warriors. The elves are much like their cousins to the west, but they have not made alliances with anyone outside their Wood, and they do not trade with strangers. Intruders are quickly ushered out of the Wood, often by force if they are persistent. Woodcutters and hunters are dealt with swiftly and with finality. The climate in the Savage Frontier can vary greatly from one extreme to another. The winters are always harsh with the wind off of the Inland Sea being trapped by the mountains. It always snows early, and melts late. When spring does come, summer is fast behind, bringing hot balmy days and equally uncomfortable nights. Culture Family and tribe are paramount to the humans of the Savage Frontier. This tight bond is necessary for survival, and those who live on their own do not last long in the forest. The separation between child and adult here is also important. A male youth of the tribe is not considered and adult until he has lived alone in the wilderness for three days. These trials are usually held on the three days following the youth’s fifteenth birthday. He must live off the land, taking only the weapons he has crafted on his own, and the supplies he is able to carry. This trial is many times failed when the beasts that share this wilderness with the tribes kill the child. The tribes are ruled by the strongest warriors and advised by their oldest shamans. If a leader gets to be too old, or shows any weakness his rivals are quick to replace him. It is believed that the divine casters of the tribes get their powers from some powerful Daemon or Seraph, though none has shown themself openly. For elven culture see the elven racial entry. Regional History Human tribal shamans and elders keep the history of the Savage Frontier in the form of stories about the tribes. The history varies from tribe to tribe and usually encompasses a creation story, exploits of their heroes, and stories about wars between tribes. Elven history is kept much the same way, with their keepers relaying the stories of the clans. As far as recorded history is concerned the tribes of the Frontier have ruled the forests and Great Mountains east of the Inland Sea since the beginning of time. The limited contact that outsiders have with the barbarians is almost always violent. The barbarians themselves have left their homeland many times to raid their neighbors or for war. These are the only times that those that record history have a chance to include these barbarian tribes.